The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-06-28


brigands have been killed or driver
away during the past year or two. anG
yet the natives declare that merchant:
and strangers are robbed and murdered
even at the present time. With such
gloomy reminders on every side, and
evening slowly creeping on, began to
regret that L had ever undertaken the
trip. 1t was too late to turn back, and
the only course was to push on and try
and reach the ranch. Soon the sun
neared the horizon and then slowly
disappeared below it. For few mo-
ments the clouds were tinged with the
most exquisite colors. which soon faded
and became cold and cherries. After
walking as rapidly as possible for half
an hour was delighted to find myself
at the end of the forest and almost at
the extreme limit of vegetation. In
front rose the cone of Popocatepetl.
more beautiful than ever in the dim
twilight A broad field of lava lay on
the other hand, but not sign of the
ranch. The path became so poor
that with the dim light it became
almost impossible to keep from going
astray. Only one thing remained to
be done. and that was to camp out and
wait till morning. The prospects
ahead were any thing but pleasant
To sleep in the open air at an elevation
of thirteen or fourteen thousand feet
above the sea, without even q fire, was
enough to make almost any one shud-
der. There was plenty of wood to
burn but the smallest light would
attract the brigands to the spot, and
then my trip would come to sudden
ending. The pine trees were small.
and the branches reached almost
to the ground. so it was an easy
matter to gather a sufficient quantity
of the brush to construct q place
in which to sleep. Some of the smaller
branches, with the aid of punches OF
loose mountain grass, served very well
as mattress and pillow. All being
arranged for the night 1 took one last
look at the dark, gloomy scene and
then crswled inside of my hastily.
built house. 1t seemed quite warm at
first, but shortly after the wind began
to blow through the sides, making il
very uncomfortable. To add to my
misery, the visions of those fearful
crosses on the roadside were constantly
before my eyes, and sleep was out OF
the question. Whenever a twig or q
branch cracked, fan1ied it was foot
step and expected the next moment to
have brigand standing over me, ready
to plunge his knife. Occasionally the
howl of coyote sounded close at hand
and on several occasions even fancied
/ heard the cry of a mountain lion.
The hours seemed to be stretched into
days. and yet from the position of the
stars could see it was not yet mid
night. The cold winds penetrated
through every crack and crevice of my
poorly-constructed hut and made it al
most unbearable. On several occasions
it seemed impossible to remain longer
without freezing. A fire. however. was
out of the question, for it meant pro-
bable visit from the brigands and one
more cross for the roadsides. All things
come to an end, and the long night
finally passed away. My one thought
was to get away from the fearful place,
and without taking even a look at the
glorious peak I started on a run down
the mountain. Soon / came to a stream
on the side of which had walked the |
previous day. The water, however,
was frozen solid, showing that the night |
must have been intensely cold. After |
reaching a lower altitude I began to
feel warm and in good spirits again,
and then for the first time felt heartily
ashamed of having abandoned the trip. |
About noon reached Amecameca, and |
after good dinner and a few glasses
of pulque 1 vowed I would reach the |
summit of Popocatepetl. and that with
out guides or mules, If it took whole
year to do it.
The resolution having been duly
made, / laid in extra supplies of under
blankets and provisions and
then made arrangements to start early /
the next morning. During the even
ing the agent and his French inter-
prefer called to learn the result of my
trip and to triumph over my failure.
They declared that the Americans were
great people for railroads, but they
we're far inferior to the Mexicans when
t came to climbing Popocatepetl. The
next day, shortly after sunrise. I was
up and ready to start. The path was,
Of course, the same over which I had
gone the previous day, but somehow 1
to wander off on a branch
road and only discovered my mistake
when the path came to sudden end.
4 Mexican would consider few oaths
very appropriate on such an occasion.
but being a good American / merely
turned around and retrseed INV stano